Police in Poconos bust another high school drinking party

Pocono Mountain Regional Police say they expect to file charges against 20 underage New York high schoolers who were carrying on a large, loud party at Camelot Drive in Blakeslee on Tuesday.

Responding to a noise complaint, police said they found a large number of people on an outdoor deck playing music and acting loudly.

"There was a large amount of beer and liquor in plain view on the deck and inside the home," police report.

The students, all under the age of 21, were celebrating their recent high school graduation at a vacation rental, police said.

This marks the third sizable underage drinking party police have broken up in Pike and Monroe counties in recent days.

State police report that they broke up two underage drinking parties in Pike County that involved a total of more than 60 youths.

Police said they were called to a "large, loud" underage party at 133 Bloss Road in Greene Township following the Wallenpaupack High School prom.

Police said 32 students, ranging in age from 15 to 18, were cited for underage drinking or disorderly conduct.

The homeowner, Kathy Ferber, 51, and her son, Theodore Ferber, 21, both of Canadensis, were the only adults present and planned the after-prom party, police said.

The Ferbers have been charged with corruption of minors, endangering the welfare of children and recklessly endangering another person after one of the juveniles fell in a wooded area of her backyard and suffered a severe cut to his leg, police said.

In the other incident, police responded June 8 to a large underage party in the Masthope Development in Lackawaxen Township.

It was determined that 31 students were from the Broomall and Newtown Square areas of Pennsylvania.

They rented a house at 100 Summit Court for the weekend following the Marple Newtown High School prom, police said.

All 31 were cited with underage drinking and/or disorderly conduct.

No adults were present, police said.

"Anytime we come across minors who have had alcohol, we will issue a citation," said state police Lt. Chris Paris of the Blooming Grove barracks.

That leads to the question: How did the minor get the alcohol?

The answer often leads to additional charges, such as furnishing alcohol to a minor and corrupting minors, both misdemeanors, Paris said.

Parents will sometimes condone the drinking or think they are providing a safe place by taking away car keys.

"They think they can control them. But when is the last time you had 30 people at your house and had control of everyone and knew where they were all the time?" Paris said. "People don't contemplate all those very dangerous eventualities."